One of the most distinctive and decorative of all housing materials tile roofing has withstood the rigors of time and still remains a mainstay in roofing in many parts of the world. In today's roofing, with its dozens of shapes and hundreds of colors and hues, clay tiles conform to almost every style of home or business in all areas of the country.
Clay tiles are some of the oldest building materials. In the days of the Baylonians and early Chinese dynasties, clay tiles were fashioned manually by dedicated craftsmen who had to make every tile perfectly. Roofing contractors later found that the material could be molded and fired at high temperatures for a much durable and longer-lasting roofing material. In addition they found that numerous glazes could be baked which made the tile impervious to water, sun and weathering. In fact many of roof tiles on the homes in Pompeii withstood the hot ash and lava which destroyed all life in the ancient city. This durability is one of the major draws to using clay roofing tiles today as well as its derivatives like concrete roof tiles.
Concrete roof tiles are basically clay tile-shapes made from portland cement and sand mixed with water. The mixed cement material is molded under high pressure. On the surface of each tile coloring is added using both real and synthetic oxides. Rather than fired like clay, concrete tiles are left to cure. For the most part concrete tiles had lugs on the back surface in order to anchor them to the roofing, or batten, strips. for anchoring to batten strips. Although these tiles copy the shape and style of clay they are much lighter and are less expensive. They go a roof in a similar fashion and can be colored in almost any hue. In addition, concrete gets harder with age making them a good investment.
Advantages of Clay and Concrete Tiles
- Durable: Clay and its concrete derivatives also will not fade but they will get a weathered look that looks very appealing In addition these tiles, like slate, are not susceptible to chemicals in the air.
- Fireproof: After the great fires which decimated many European cities like London during the last millennium decrees were made to invoke the use of clay tile. Today, the fireproof qualities of clay and concrete still hold and offer a valuable fir break for the home.
- Mold and Mildew Resistant: in a shady war, moist area mold, fungus and mildew will stick to almost an material. The plus for hard tile is that these organisms will never penetrate the surface and break down the material.
- Architecture: There is no better way to control the style of a community than with tile. It gives the area a timeless, uniform quality.
- Cool: Tile is not subject to severe heat or cold so that it makes the roofing great in all areas. In the south tile reflects some of the heat but its great thermal mass can absorb heat and release it at night when the air is cooler. This means savings on your air conditioning bill.
- Resale Value: A prospective buyer will know that he or she will never have to spring for a roof as long as they keep the home.
Re-Roofing With Clay and Concrete Tiles
One of the main concerns with using tile for a re-roofing job is weight. The present roof may hold asphalt or metal quite handily but even concrete tiles can add stresses that the trusses cannot hold. You will have to check with a building engineer before attempting. Competent tile roof specialists can advise as to where or not the roof can handle the job.
Do-it-yourselfers, if handy, could do their own roof but it takes a professional to install it properly. In fact the ASTN (American Society for Testing and Materials) reported that over 96% of clay tile roofs are installed by professional roofing companies. This has to do with needing special skills to do the roof valleys, flashing, batten installing and precision cutting of the clay. In addition these materials are heavier than either asphalt or metal roofing so special roof loading escalators would be needed to get them up on the roof.
Slate
Some of the oldest homes in American are roofed with slate. Mostly used in the northeast where slate was quarried these roofs have lasted virtually unchanged for years, in some cases 150 years. Like clay and concrete tile, a slate roof is impervious to weathering, chemical fall-out and fire. It comes in a variety of “earthy†colors and no two tiles are exactly alike. The cost for slate is 2 times that of tile and 7 times that of asphalt however, when compared to the life of the roof, slate beats out every material on a per-years basis. For example, the cost per year for slate was $2.14 per square (10' X 10') whereas asphalt roofing was $3.67. Of course this was over 175 years!
Whether it be clay, concrete or a slate the cost for a roof is going to be very expensive. The decision that a homeowner has to make is how long they intend to keep the house and if the increase in value is worth the initial outlay.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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